Neal said Tom Brady‘s car accident Thursday morning isn’t a problem for the Patriots. “I didn’t think too much of it,” Neal said. “We just started our preparation for the Bengals. We’ve got a tough task at hand. ‘¦ I don’t think it was a distraction at all.”

Asked about the Bengals, Neal said the Patriots linemen will have their hands full. “They have a really good defensive line and they’ll all play everywhere,” he said. “They all have different skill sets. They’re all physical and tough. Some of them are a little bigger, more powerful. Some of them are a little quicker. Then you’ve got the linebackers. They’re also great. They’re young, fast, athletic. They’re real good.”

Neal considered retirement in the offseason before re-signing, and he doesn’t regret his decision now that the season has arrived. Said Neal: “It’s just great to get over here and put the gear on. It’s not over. Where I was thinking for a while, ‘Hey, this might be it,’ but then you start thinking it’s going to be done. I’m pretty excited to be here. It’s opening week, and the excitement with that. We’ve got a Friday practice today, and we get to eat some pizza after that practice, so that’s always a good thing. Jumping back into the routine is always a good thing. The body’s feeling pretty good.”